It's A Perfect Field For Lilly To Grow In

Excels For U.s. National Soccer Team

Growing Talent Of Lilly

Kristine Lilly aims for anonymity. Her likeable, unassuming personality often helps her hit the mark.

But when Lilly walks onto the soccer field, it's impossible for her to hide her talent.

"I'm quiet off the field. That's just the way I am," said Lilly, 20, from Wilton. "On the field I can express myself more. It's easier for me to do it there."

The soccer field is Lilly's theater. When she hits the stage, her speed, balance, skill and toughness cause her to stand out.

Lilly was college soccer's player of the year as a sophomore at the University of North Carolina last fall and is a starter for the U.S. national team. The U.S. national team will play Norway Friday at Willow Brook Park in New Britain in preparation for the first World Championship November in China.

Still, Lilly says she's nothing special. She says there are players all over the country who can perform as she does. The experts differ.

"Kristine is never one to seek out glory," said Anson Dorrance, the U.S. and North Carolina coach. "It always just comes naturally. That's one of her best traits."

Lilly, who scored 135 goals and had 62 assists as a three-time All-Stater and two-time All-American at Wilton High, has 40 goals and 18 assists in two NCAA championship seasons at North Carolina. She was the centerpiece as the captain last season when the Tar Heels beat the University of Connecticut 6-0 in the NCAA championship game, avenging an earlier loss. She has seven goals and three assists in six NCAA tournament games.

"She was always above the rest," said UConn coach Len Tsantiris, who coached Lilly on the state's under-16 select team. "Her best characteristic is her balance. She can stay on her feet, even though she's small [5 foot 4, 120 pounds]."

During grade school, Lilly played every sport imaginable in the back yard with her older brother, Scott, her five male cousins and other neighborhood boys.

In the winter, Scott and Kristine would move the games to the

basement. Their parents -- Steve and Terri -- would often cringe at the noise made playing floor hockey, soccer, basketball -- anything.

"She loved to play downstairs," said Scott, 24, a former soccer player at Franklin Pierce College. "She hated to lose, but I did, too."

Kristine started playing soccer at age 6 in a predominately boys league. When she reached high school as a member of a boys select team, she expected to play on the boys high school team. The athletic department urged against it and the Lillys gave in. She joined the girls and led them to four consecutive CIAC Class L championship games and three titles.

"It was a tremendous help for her to play with boys," Steve Lilly said. "She had to work harder at trying to be better."

Coach Marty Lisevick of Simsbury, the only team to beat Lilly and Wilton in a championship game (1987), remembers her final high school match. After taking a shot, Lilly was knocked to the ground by a Simsbury player.

"My assistant coach said `Well, I guess she's done for the day,' " Lisevick said. "But she dragged herself up and two minutes later she tied the game." Wilton won, 3-2.

Dorrance noticed Lilly at a summer tournament in Minnesota when she was 16. He thought she was ready for the national team.

Lilly has since earned a starting job at left midfield. She said there was never jealousy among the older players, and said she thinks of them as big sisters. The extra coaches and competitors helped her progress.

"Whenever you play one step above where you are it helps," Lilly said. "I've grown a lot from all the experience. Traveling with the team and playing against great players has helped me. But I still have a long way to go."

Her teammates see it differently.

"[Lilly is] dynamic," said Michelle Akers-Stahl, 25, a four-time All-American from the University of Central Florida, and often a target of Lilly's up front. "She's a very exciting player to watch. She's so fluid and creative. She does everything perfect."

That kind of compliment embarrasses Lilly. She'd rather talk about someone else. The boasting is left to her family. They enjoy it.

School has begun, but she flew back for Scott's wedding Saturday and will be in New Britain for Friday's game. She will play for North Carolina until the NCAA tournament, when the national team leaves for China Nov. 10. In between, she must complete her studies.

"Spare time?," Lilly said. "What's that?"

Lilly will have more once the World Championship is over. But she knows she can't stop trying to improve.

"It's funny," Lisevick said. "I talk to a lot of high school coaches who say `I've got the next Kristine Lilly.' But players like her only come around every 20 years or so. So we've got quite a ways to go. I just hope that player doesn't play against us."